Jason Howard Green

Friday, April 17, 2015

Queen Latifah Becomes "Bessie" Smith on HBO

On May , HBO will premiere "Bessie" and I'm so excited I could just spit. It will star Queen Latifah as Bessie Smith, the Empress of the Blues and one of the biggest artists to come out of the Harlem Renaissance. It will also star Mo'Nique as MaRainey, aka "Mother of the Blue."

A little known fact, but the aspect of these individuals that perks my interest, is that Bessie Smith and MaRainey [along with several other blues singers from the Harlem Renaissance] were same gender loving. As I look at the trailer above I realize that this film will resonate with members of the LGBT African-American community.

Queen Latifah has never publicly come out, but the black SGL community has always celebrated her as one of our own. Mo'Nique has always been an ally of the community and an advocate for HIV/AIDS issues. Plus the film will feature Michael Kenneth Williams whose character Omar, from The Wire, introduced the world to the "homo thug."

If you not yet done so, please put May 16 on your calendar. With the talent that will be on display in this project, I am sure Bessie will be a movie to remember. Please check out the trailer below . . .

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About Me

Black and gay. Geek and Greek (Phi Beta Sigma). Spirtual but not judgemental. Optimist but a realist. Writer and activist. I am the author of The ABCs of Coming Out. Also I am the founder of UGIMA (United Gay Informed Men of African-descent).